Leica CL 50 Jahre

Arash

Arash

Established
Local time
4:51 PM
Joined
Nov 30, 2012
Messages
73
View My Gallery
Hello friends
There’s a good looking Leica CL 50 year anniversary at a local shops along with the 40/f2 summicron. Looks it it was hardly used.
Does this late edition of the camera suffer from all the light meter issues that the rest of the line seems to be plagued with?
This would be a first for me and I’d like to use it in addition to admiring it on a shelf!
Thanks
 
Generally, you'll pay a lot more for the 50-year anniversary models, simply because of their collectible status. As spitimageview said, test it at the shop against a known accurate meter, with one caveat: use a wein cell in the camera for proper voltage, or the meter will be off. If all seems well, and the price is right, go for it. The CL is a jewel!
 
Thank you.
I’m on the fence and needed a shove.
Pointed the camera at the fluorescent ceiling light and the needle moved.
I’ll go back for a more sophisticated check.
Sales guy really knew very little about the camera, other than “ain’t it pretty”
I’ve tried to do some research but seem to find only negatives: meter, short range finder base, lack of filters to fit, etc
But it does look like it’s a fun camera to use. My next similar is a Rollei 35 which as you well know lacks a range finder but lovely.
Asking 1500$ which is a bit dear as the English might say
 
If the meter works, that's not a negative. Even if it's off a stop that's easy to compensate for.

Rangefinder base is plenty long for the standard 40/2, the 90/4 is borderline at f/4 but fine at 5.6.

Rangefinder baselength only matters when trying to use super-fast or long lenses.

Reference this RF Accuracy Chart and you'll see that pretty much any wide of any speed, or normal (up to 50mm and equal to or slower than f/1.4) is within the capabilities of the rangefinder.

No one would use a 50/1 on a CL anyway as it would obscure the viewfinder. 🙂

Yes, the Summicron-C and Elmar-C have an oddball filter size but there are cheap adapters available to use common 39mm filters instead.

The CL is a fun camera, I think it's the true descendent of the Barnack, the historical essence of Leica photography.
 
It's a little funny: I owned and took many many photos with the Leica CL ... I had three of them, stretched over a 30 year time period. They're delightful cameras. IN all that time, using the 40/2, 90/4, and either a 21 or 28 mm lens, or any other M-mount lens in my kit (50/2, 50/1.4, 75/2.4, 135/4.5, etc), I never once thought about the rangefinder baseline, and never had any issues traceable to focusing accuracy other than my own "being sloppy."

Yet, whenever I see a thread about the Leica CL come up, it is inevitably the case that someone will caution about the "short baseline rangefinder" and its limitations on focusing accuracy.

I think that when I had the last CL I owned serviced, I had DAG recalibrate the meter for alkaline battery replacements. Not entirely sure I remember that correctly, but half the time I just guess exposure anyway. 🙂

G
 
The numbers (in the spreadsheet linked above) don't lie, but that doesn't mean that in-focus photos aren't possible even if the math says it's beyond the capability of the RF baselength. To name one example, shooting with the subject at infinity. Another: shooting stopped-down. So it is quite possible to never see any issues.

For those who routinely shoot wide-open and at close-focus distance, with lenses that are borderline or beyond the RF capability, that's another matter. 😀
 
No argument there. But why is it necessary that every thread which mentions the CL has to include a warning about the "short RF baseline"? Does everyone today habitually shoot with only the fastest lenses wide open a majority of the time?

Whatever happened to "f/8 and be there"? 😉
Yeah, I'm showing my age.

G
 
Thank you all for the input.

I gave into temptation and bought the thing, along with the 40 and 90mm lenses.

The manual states “Leica CL photography is fun” - not can be fun, mind you, but is fun.

A dozen shots already and I can tell why you all like it so much!
I hope the results will be good enough.

As for the meter, they did have a 1.5v battery installed. Once we replaced that with a 1.3v cell the meter didn’t peg on the overexposure limit all the time, although it still seems to show a stop or so over compared to a phone app meter and a dSLR reading of the same light source. It may be good enough for my meager talents anyway.

I’d appreciate some guidance towards the right yellow filter choice.
Thanks
 
CLs are like boomerangs that keep coming back to me. DAG claims they are far more reliable than people give then credit for. He as parts and works on them. My CL anniversary had a meter that died last year. Don fixed the meter and adjusted it for modern batteries. The non 50th in the photo has been to the Karakorum mtns and back and works like a charm.
They are a huge step up from the Rollei 35 in my view. I use mine a lot with a Canon LTM 28...... f8 & hyperfocal distance....a great point & shoot.IMG_6930.JPGIMG_7131 2.jpg
 
The meter can, and should, be recalibrated to take modern 1.5v battery cells along with a once-over on the battery switch. 1.35v weincell batteries work okay, but they run down quickly.

Don Goldberg ("DAG") - who can make these adjustments BTW - once told me of the battery switch, it's as if Leica went out of their way to design it poorly. But it's still a great camera - especially for what it is (Minolta manufactured, but designed and marketed by Leica).
 
thank you all for the input.
After one roll of CineStillXX with the camera, I can see why you find it such a joy to use. Happily, my copy seems to be well behaved. The meter works and I’m glad to have splurged on the 90mm lens also. I even found a 35.5 yellow filter for it.
My scanning skills need more work, but here’s a couple of frames form the first rollg7hNJLb-0%21sizeoriginal.jpegQxN5Vmg-0%21sizeoriginal.jpegDswCDFN-0%21sizeoriginal.jpegbFh4XWW-0%21sizeoriginal.jpeg
 
Arash said:
Thank you all for the input.

I gave into temptation and bought the thing, along with the 40 and 90mm lenses.

The manual states “Leica CL photography is fun” - not can be fun, mind you, but is fun.

A dozen shots already and I can tell why you all like it so much!
I hope the results will be good enough.

As for the meter, they did have a 1.5v battery installed. Once we replaced that with a 1.3v cell the meter didn’t peg on the overexposure limit all the time, although it still seems to show a stop or so over compared to a phone app meter and a dSLR reading of the same light source. It may be good enough for my meager talents anyway.

I’d appreciate some guidance towards the right yellow filter choice.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Close enough for C-41 Colour Negative Film! Enjoy that CL 50 Jahre!
 
Well, aren’t vintage cameras a joy!
After three or four rolls of film through this Leica, when I started to load the next roll I noticed a crack at the base of one of the splines on the take up post. Rats!
I’ve removed and kept the broken piece and continued to load the film using one of the remaining slots. I guess this piece gets brittle with age because this camera really did not look like it had had much use.

Unless advised here against doing so, I’m planning to superglue the broken piece back and maybe “strengthen” the remaining ones with a coating of CA superglue. What do you think?

Of course it would be best to have this piece replaced and I’d appreciate any comments in that direction.

It could be worse. I could be into vintage automobiles!

Thanks again.
 
Arash said:
Well, aren’t vintage cameras a joy!
After three or four rolls of film through this Leica, when I started to load the next roll I noticed a crack at the base of one of the splines on the take up post. Rats!
I’ve removed and kept the broken piece and continued to load the film using one of the remaining slots. I guess this piece gets brittle with age because this camera really did not look like it had had much use.

Unless advised here against doing so, I’m planning to superglue the broken piece back and maybe “strengthen” the remaining ones with a coating of CA superglue. What do you think?

Of course it would be best to have this piece replaced and I’d appreciate any comments in that direction.

It could be worse. I could be into vintage automobiles!

Thanks again.
Click to expand...
A, I'd have it replaced. There is a finite amount of replacement parts & currently Don Goldberg has them....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

F
Leica CL cellmeter cover removal
Replies
4
Views
542
aw614
A
EddieO
Cleaning sensor on Leica CL-easy?
Replies
4
Views
283
EddieO
EddieO
V
First Rangefinder Suggestions
2 3 4
Replies
78
Views
4K
Godfrey
Godfrey
ecowarrior
Is this really a worthwhile Leica lens upgrade?
2 3
Replies
45
Views
3K
rfaspen
rfaspen
Pál_K
Leica CL 50 Jahre - series designation question
Replies
6
Views
2K
Rob-F
Rob-F
Back
Top Bottom